Practice-bomb.



E. GATHMANN.

PRACTICE BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1.91s.

1 ,27 1 ,029. Patented July 2, 1918.

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EMIL GATHMAIN'N, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

PRACTICE-BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 1918.

Application filed Apri13, 1918. Serial No. 226,371.

" Baltimore city, Maryland, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Practice-Bombs, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive substitute forthe regular or war bomb to be used by aviators or others while trainingor practising for actual service.

Such dummy or practice bombs should, as nearly as possible, be of thesame welght, shape and dimensions as the regular bomb and should havetheir center of gravity in the same plane as such a bomb.

In carrying out my invention I therefore use such material and so shapethe parts as to enable me to provide a dummy bomb possessing all ofthese characteristics and such materials are also used that the bombsmay be cheaply manufactured and may possess the requisite strength andstability for their intended use.

I preferably use a plastic material, such as concrete, to construct thebody of the bomb which can be easily molded and will give such weight tothe bomb as to approximate the weight of the regular or war bomb. Thevanes are preferably made of sheet steel and are carefully centered andfirmly connected to a core, preferably made of material.

wood, which is embedded in the front and rear portions of the bombserving to hold them together. The nose of the bomb may be made of metaland the vanes are preferably reinforced and braced by a metallic band.The bomb is provided with a vacant space or air chamber properly locatedbetween its opposite ends in order to locate the center of gravity inthe front portion of thevbomb. In order that the vanes may be, properlcentered and firmly held when once adjuste they are formed with holes orper forat'ions through which extends the plastic material therebyserving to key the vanesto the body of the bomb, and I may also employ awire which is threaded through the holes in the vanes and inclosed inthe plastic A similar wire may be employed in the front portion of thebomb to reinforce it in the manner hereinafter described.

Qther features of the invention will be hereinafter explained.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a View partly in side elevation7' '7 and partly in section of a practice bomb embodying myimprovements.

1g. 2 is a perspective view, showing partlcularly how the vanes are heldin place.

Fig. 3 shows a transverse section on the line 33 of Fig. 1, illustratingparticularly the manner of securing the vanes to the body of the bomband to the core.

The body of the bomb is composed largely of plastic material, concretebeing preferred, and preferably what is known as two to one concrete isemployed. The body portion of the bomb comprises a front portion A and arear ortion B and as a whole the bomb is of clgar shape, having a middlecylindrical portion m, a tapered front part a and a tapered rear partZ). There is a space or chamber C between the front and rear parts whichis closed by a cylinder D, made by preference, of sheet metal andpreferably extending from the front tapered portion of the bomb to therear tapered portion thereof.

The front and rear portions of the bomb are connected by a core E,preferably made of wood, and extending at opposite ends into said frontand rear parts of the body. These ends are anchored to the parts of thebody and serve to hold them together in proper spaced relation. Thefront portion of the core, it will be observed, is formed with anannular groove 6 which prevents the core from slipping, and preferably awire F is attached to the core and anchored in the part A of the bombserving to reinforce this portion of the bomb and to also assist inholding the core in place. A nose G, of suitable material, is applied tothe front of the bomb and may be attached thereto in any suitable way.Preferably the nose carries prongs g which serve this purpose.

The vanes H are preferably made of sheet steel and are of the same sizeand shape as are the vanes of the regular bomb. Preferably three piecesof sheet metal are employed, one piece, It, being made to form two ofthe four vanes, while two other pieces, 72/, k constitute the othervanes. The vane h is passed through a slot in the rear portion of thecore and projects to an equal extent from each side thereof, while thevanes h, enter slots in the core and abut against the vane 72., in themanner indicated in Fig. 3. The vanes may be secured to the that theyshould be very firmly connected with the body portion'of the bomb. Forthe latter purpose the vanes are formed with holes 72. through which awire L is threaded, in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 2. Inasmuch asthe rear portion of the core is tapered the holes are preferablyarranged in series conforming to such taper. The wire is embedded in theconcrete and the concrete extends through the holes k thus securelyconnecting the vanes with the bomb proper. The concrete fills theseholes and also fills the spaces between the vanes to the extentindicated in Figs. 1 and 3. This way of connecting the vanes to the bodyof the bomb is of considerable importance.- I would say, however, thatit is not necessary to use the spiral wire L. This is employed foradditional securit and also to reinforce the concrete. The re ative sizeof the front and rear portions of the bomb, the size of the air space orchamber C and the weights of the vanes and other elements used are such,and the parts are so located, as to cause the center of gravity of thebomb as a whole to be located in the front portion of the bomb in thesame manner that it is located in the regulation or war bomb.

In making the bomb the following procedure is preferred: The vanes arefirst connected with the core in the manner before described, the wirebeing threaded through the holes in the vanes and the vanes with thecore attached are placed in a suitable mold into which the concrete ispoured. Preferably a cylindrical casing D is employed and when this isthe casethe concrete is poured into this cylinder until the rear portionof the bomb is formed. Then a disk or partition M is inserted in thecylinder and held in place by nails m at a suitable distance from therear portion of the bomb to provide a space C of suitable size.

The wire F. is then applied to the core and the concrete is poured into.the cylinder D until the latter is filled, after which the front portionof the bomb is formed in a suitable mold. After this the nose G isapplied and the'bomb is then complete.

By thus constructing. a practice bomb of plastic material, such asconcrete, with a core for connecting the front and rear portions of thebomb and for centering the vanes, practicebombs may be produced'at verysmall expense and with great accuracy, the

weight shape and dimensions and general appearance of the bomb beingpractically the same as the regular bomb, and also the important featureof having the center of gravity in the forward part of the bomb,precisely where it is in the regulation bomb, is also obtained.

I claim as my inven'tion:-

1. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion, a core within the body,and vanes at one end of the bomb attached to the core.

2. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion of plastic material, acore within the body, and vanes at one end of the bomb attached to thecore.

3. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion of plastic material, awooden core within the body, and vanes at one end of the bomb attachedto said core.

4. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion, a core within the bodyportion, vanes at one end of the bomb secured to the core, and a wiresurrounding the core connected with the vanes and anchored in the bodyof the bomb.

5. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion made of plastic material,a core within the body portion, vanes at one end of the bomb secured tothe core, and a wire surrounding the core connected with the vanes'andanchored in the body of the bomb.

6. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion of plastic material, vaneshaving perforations in them through which the plastic material extendsand forms keys which firmly connect the vanes with the body 7. Apractice bomb, comprising a body portion of plastic material, vaneshaving a series of perforations in them through which the plasticmaterial extends forming keys which connect the vanes with the body, anda core to which the vanes are also connected.

8. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion consisting of front andrear parts with a space between them for placing the center of gravityin the front portion of the bomb, and vanes centered and connected withthe tail of the bomb.

9. A practice bomb, comprising abody portion consisting of front andrear parts -with a space between them, a core connecting the front andrear portions of the bomb,

and vanes mounted at the tail of the bomb and attached to the core.

10. A practice bomb, comprising a body portion of molded plasticmaterial having a front. part and a rear part with an air space betweenthem, a core connecting thespace and connecting the front and rear partsof the bomb, reinforcing Wires arranged longitudinally in' the front andrear portions of the bomb, and vanes securely fastened to the tail ofthe bomb.

12.-A practice bomb having front and rear portions made of plasticmaterial with a space between them, a cylinder inclosing said space,vanes formed with perforations,

10 a core connecting the front and rear portions of the bomb, and a wireembedded in the rear portion of the body and extending through theperforations in the vanes.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EMIL GATHMANN.

Witnesses MICHAEL LUBER, ISABEL GATHMANN.

